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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1937-05-13, Page 8EIGHT THE WINGHAM ADVANCE-T1MES Thursday, M«ty 13 th, 1937 SYNOPSIS: Slim Loyale is parol­ ed from prison after serving eighteen months for a crime he did not com­ mit. He returns to his Circle L ranch to find his father dead and sinister forces at work, trying to make him violate his parole so that he can again be railroaded to prison. The Brockwells and their, gang are plotting tb gain possession of Circle L ranch and the property of Mona Hall, a neighbor and life-long friend of Slim Loyale. Slim discovers that Sheriff Starbuck has joined the plot against him. With the help of Dakota Blue and his cow­ boys, Slim Loyale defies the land­ grabbers to do their worst. “Shore, that made him mad. He cussed pore old Roy plumb outrag­ eous, but I was after laughin’ at him. Then he up an’ shot at me. I saw it coinin’ an’ ducked my head, at the same time thro'win’ my own gun. We shot almost together the second time, an’ I got him. An’ then—yuh can be­ lieve me—I came away from there.” “Do yuh know who it was?” de­ manded Dakota. “I can’t be positive, seein’ as how he was masked. But shore he talked an’ acted a lot like that long-legged Half Diamond B foreman, Rango Deale.” “Yuh shore you rocked him off?” "Well,” drawled Roy, running his •fingers through his hair, “if he ain’t broke -entirely, he’s real bad ben^. He folded up like a sack.” Dakota shrugged. “Looks like the lid’s off,” he grunted. “Stoney Sheard was right when he said hell was goin’ to pop on this range. Slim, lad, it’s beginnin’ to look like they won’t pass up nothin’ in nettin’ yuh. There’s a hefty purpose behind all this an’ I’m gonna find out what it is.” The next morning, not long after sunrise, Slim and Dakota Blue rode into Pinnacle. Slim had confided to Dakota his plan of taking up the mortgage on Mona Hall’s spread, at which Dakota had shrugged. “I know yore bank balance is plen­ ty big enough to cover the note, Slim,” Dakota had observed. “But whether George Arthur will deal with yuh is another proposition. Me, I don’t think he will. I don’t believe he wants the five thousand dollars. What he wants is the Dot H Dot Ranch.” Slim had avowed that he would tackle the lawyer just the same, so Dakota rode into town with him. The lawyer’s office, a dusty unkempt little cubby, three doors up from the Wild Horse Saloon, was still locked when they arrived. So Slim and Da­ kota went into the saloon where Joe Rooney was swamping out and fat Spud Dillon was yawning behind the bar, while poring over a tattered newspaper. “Hi, gents,” hailed Spud. .“What brings yuh to our fair city so early this fine mornin’?” “Little business deal,” answered Slim with a grin. “No, thanks; too •early in the day for spirituous liquor, Spud,” he added, as Dillon began set­ ting out a bottle and glasses. “What’s new?” “Oh, nothin’ in particular,” grunt­ ed Spud, “ ’ceptin’ they’re gonna op­ en that government land along the Kicapoo River up north. The paper here says the final date of openin’ ain’t been quite decided on yet, but that it’ll probably be the fifteenth of next month. “Shore, there's gonna be a wild scramble over it. There's a lot of powerful good range up there an’ humans are funny about free land. Go just as crazy over it as though it was gold. Here’s a long article about it by George Arthur. Reckon if the editor of this newspaper up at Vasco knew Arthur like we folks know him, he’d never have printed it. “Arthur claims it’ll short boom this range. Says a lot of cattlemen down in the Big Bend country are gonna pull stakes an’ bring their herds up through here to the new range. Understand that sheep inter­ ests have got ’em just about licked down in the Big Bend. Sounds good; but me, I don’t take much stock in what George Arthur says. He kin lie faster’n a good hoss can run.” Slim nodded, rather absently. The proposed opening of the government lands along the Kicapoo River had been a much discussed item for sev­ eral years that he knew of. It was a subject that had grown cold to him. And besides, just now he was wond­ ering what angle of approach to use on George Arthur about that mort­ gage. Dakota Blue, however, with a sud­ den gleam in his eyes .pulled the pap­ er to him and began reading it care­ fully. Slim rolled a cigarette, lit it, then went over to the pool table and began idly punching the balls about. Presently came the thud of hoofs and a lone puncher rode down the street, stopping before Jigger Star­ buck’s office. He dismounted and went, in to reappear about five min­ utes later and dross to the saloon. He was a diminutive, shriveled-up, crooked-legged fellow, with a pair of baring bat-wing chaps so enormous- as to make him appear almost square. He had a pair of beady, button, black eye, set in a • wrinkled, mahogany­ brown visage. Half hidden by the flare of his chaps, a pair of big, black Colt guns dragged at his waist. As the newcome stepped into the room, Dakota Blue turned to half face him, his eyes wary, his right hand dropping until his thumb was hooked in his belt. The newcomer grinned crookedly. “Go on with yore readin’, Blue,” he remarked,in a thin, whispery voice. “All I’m after is a shot of liquor, providin’ Dillon will sell it to me. 1/ understand he told my boss an’ Leo that their money wasn’t any good. How about it, Dillon? Does that ap­ ply to the whole Half Diamond B outfit?” “Not if they mind their business, Cinder,” growled Dillon. “What’ll it be?” “Bourbon,” announced the puncher, rocking up to the ‘bar. “Blue, will yuh an’ Loyale have one with me’” en, seen at the left, 1 Seven persons were killed and ten injured when the Ocean Limited', crack Montreal-Halifax express, col­ lided head-on with eight runaway coal Dakota shook his head. “Thanks. AVe just turned Spud down on the same offer.” Cinder Alton shrugged. “Okay! Lots of fellers don’t cart- for liquor before noon. Me, I'm different. Any time is drink time to me.” And again he .smiled that crooked, twisted smile. When Alton finished his drink he turned, leaning his shoulders against the bar, hooking a negligent heel ov­ er the bar rail. As he rolled and licked a cigarette, his eyes rested steadily upon Slim. “Don’t know where the Half Diamond B could pick up a new foreman, do yuh, Loy­ ale?” he asked. “We lost Rango Deale last night,” “Naw I" exploded Spud.Dillon be­ fore Slim could answer. “Yuh don’t mean it? How’d it happen, Cinder?” “Stopped a slug. It broke Rango’s neck, clean as a whistle.” Dakota smiled thinly. “That’s sure tough. Some felers seem born to stop lead. Ytill’d thought Deale would have learned that, long time ago,” , “Yeah,” agreed /Alton, “yuh would at that. How’d yuh get the hole in yore hat, Loyale?” A subtle change came into Alt m’s voice at this question. It grew Bat and toneless to a degree. His hands had dropped to his hips with the words and his eyes were hard as ob­ sidian. Suddenly Slim knew he was looking straight into the eyes of death —but he did not quail. He spuinted carefully along his cue, made the shot and dropped the six ball into a corner pocket. “Rango Deale put it there with a .45, Alton,” he drawled. “It was .'Ot­ ten shootin’.” “Yeah," agreed Alton coldly, “t was. Mb, T alius could out-shoot Rango. Don’t move, Blue, or I’ll spatter yuh against that bar like a rotten tomato.” By some uncanny legerdemain Al­ ton had slipped one of his guns free and now held it bearing directly up­ on Dakota’s belt buckle. He flicked out the other and couched it at his hip, the muzzle looking Slim direct­ ly in the eye. “Rango should have put his slug just about four inches lower,” he observed with a chill laugh. “T. hat’s where I aim to put mine.” He flared into sudden fury, his thin lips peel­ ing back over his teeth in a grimace of hate. “Damn yuh!” he whispered. “Yuh killed Rango—killed my pal. Did yuh think I’d let yuh away with any­ thin’ like that? Not by a jugful. I’ll give yuh now, in about ten seconds, what yuh gave to him.” Spud Dillon’s voice broke in, a lit­ tle thick and wheezy, but very deter­ mined. “What yo’re gonna do, Cind­ er, yuh poison whelp, is drop them guns, now!” And with the beginning of his words, Spud shoved the gaping muzzle of a bulldog revolver against the back of Alton’s neck. ■ The Jeer on Alton’s face persisted, a frozen grimace. His eyes flickered. “Yuh ain’t got long,” reminded Spud. Alton dropped his guns, shrugged and laughed. “I didn’t think yuh had the nerve to butt in, Dillon,” he ob­ served, “knowin’ all the time, o’ course, that yo’re signin’ yore death warrant.” “Yore thinkin’ is plumb outa ord­ er,” observed Spud sturdily. “I don’t .scare worth a whoop. From now’ on, what I told Sarg and Leo Brockwell goes /or their whole danged outfit. None of yuh are wanted in this saloon — Next of yuh to show in here, I WRECKAGE OF EXPRESS IN COLLISION IN NOVA SCOTIA Cars at Springhill Junction, N.S, The coal cars were being shunted in the railway yard when eight cars, heavily loaded, moved out on the main track and ah engine was unable to catch up with them, A view Of the wreck­ ed express is shown, with the mail car from which two bodies were tak­ meet with a sawed-off shotgun. Now rattle yore hocks.” Again Alton shrugged, then saun­ tered to the door and out. Without a backward look, he crossed the street, swung into his saddle and rode off. Spud Dillon replaced his weapon on the shelf behind the bar. “Gimme his guns, Dakota,” drawled Spud, “I wanta keep ’em as souvenirs — souvenirs of the time fat, ole Spud Dillon got the best of one of the wickedest gun-slingers in this neck of the woods.” Dakota nodded gravely and was about to pick the weapons up, when Jigger Starbuck stepped into the place. His cold eyes flickered around and saw Alton’s guns, “Yuh fellers seem to be rushin’ the Half Diamond B boys around pretty heavy,” he observed. “What’s this I hear about yuh pluggin’ Rango Deale last night, Loyale?” /‘News to me,” answered Slim. “I ain’t seen Rango Deale since I got home. An’,” he added pointedly; “I ain’t shot a gun, either. Yuh notice I ain’t even packin’ any. Yet Cinder Alton flipped his guns just now with lhe intention of killin’ me. He would have, too, except that Spud discour­ aged him.” “Now lemme tell. yuh somethin’, Starbuck. I got my eyes open at last. Certain folks railroaded me to prison ■ for somethin’ I never done. An’ me,; gettin’ a parole they never figgered on, arrived back home before they thought I would. For some reason they seem damned anxious, to put .me outa the way. “Last night they tried it; only it happened that Roy O’Brien was wear­ in’ this hat an’ ridin’ my gray hoss. Rango Deale tackled Roy, thinkin’ it was me. When he found out it wasn’t he was so sore lie took a shot at •Roy, pluggin’ a hole in my hat. Roy heat him to the next.” Slini’s face had grown cold, and his eyes flinty. There was the set of unalterable decision about his lips. “I’m carryin’ my guns all the time from now on, Starbuck. I’m carryin’ ’em to use, savvy? No more do I run around like a fool, unable to defend myself an’ lettin’ good men take ov­ er my scrap. The first son-of-a-goat who makes a pass at his gun in front of me, I’m rockin’ off. An’ if yuh come after me for defendin’ my own life, I rock yuh off. To hell with yuh an’ yore crook­ ed law that works only one way! I’m through playin’ the goat.” Dakota nodded quietly to' this. “I been advisin’ Slim to steer clear of trouble, Starbuck,” he put in. “But what happened just now shows me that he’s up agin a pack of yellow polecats who are willin’ to shoot him even if he is unarmed. What he just said goes for me, too. I’m backin’ Slim’s play every turn of the trail. “There’s five more boys out at the Circle L who are gonna' back it the same way. Less’n yuh see that Slim gets the protection he’s entitled to, this county is gonna bury a sheriff. That’s plain talk, but every word of it is gospel.” For some time Starbuck was sil­ ent, his face unreadable. “I could ar­ rest both of yuh for that kind of talk,” he observed presently. Dakota laughed sarcastically. “Try it, an’ yuh go outa here on a board. Funny yo’re alius takin’ about arrest­ in’ Slim or me. Why don’t yuh exert some of yore precious authority on that Brockwell gang? Why don’t yuh trail along after Cinder Alton an’ throw him in the jug for a time? He Business and Professional Directory Wellington Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Established 1840. Risks taken on all classes of insur­ ance at reasonable rates. Head Office, Guelph, Ont. ABNER COSENS, Agefit. Wingham. DR. R. L. STEWART PHYSICIAN Telephone 29. Dr. Robt. C. REDMOND M.R.C.S. (England) L.R.C.P. (London) PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON DR. W. M. CONNELL PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Phone 19. W. A. CRAWFORD, M.D. Physician and Surgeon Located at the office of the late Dr. J. P. Kennedy. Phone 150. Wingham tried to start the argument in here.’ “Yuh cain’t tell me my businses,” snapped Starbuck. “Okay,” shrugged Dakota. “An’ yuh cain’t tell Sli man’ me ours. We kept faith with yuh, so far, but yuh ain’t returned the compliment. From here on out, the Circle L rides ‘its own trail in its own way. ‘No tres­ passing’ signs are flangin’ on every one of us. C’mon, Slim; I just saw that law-shark go past the door. Rec­ kon he’s haided for his office.” Slim nodded to Spud and Joe Roon­ ey, but walked past Jigger Starbuck as though he did not exist. Dakota followed Suit to the letter. * * ’ * f “But my dear man,” expostulated George Arthur, rubbing his thin hands together, as he paced,back and forth across the narrow width of his office. “Don’t you understand that I cannot transfer the mortgage on Miss Hall’s property to you without her consent? It would not be regular— not at all regular. Besides, I wish to hold that mortgage myself.” “Oh yeah?” drawled Slim. “That’s kinda funny. If yo’re so satisfied to hold the mortgage, why in hell are yuh pressin’ Miss Hall for the mcn- ey? Can it be that what yuh want is the ranch an’ not the money?” The lawyer’s pale eyes narrowed. “My affairs are my own,” he snap­ ped. “Definitely and finally, that mortgage is not for sale. Good day, Mrs. Simpson and the Duke arc /ex­ pected to spend their honeymoon at the castle, ■ which is situated in the Carinthian mountains overlooking Jugoslavia. According to reports from' France the Duke of Windsor has leased the Wasserleonbutg castli iff Austria, Dr. W. A. McKibbon, B.A, PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Located at the Office of the Late Dr. H. W. Colbome. Office Phone 54. Nights 107 J. W. BUSHFIELD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Money to Loan. Office — Meyer Block, Wingham J. H. CRAWFORD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. , Successor to R. Vanstone. Wingham Ontario R. S. HETHERINGTON BARRISTER and SOLICITOR Office — Morton Block.* Telephone No. 66. F. A. PARKER OSTEOPATH All Diseases Treated. Office adjoining residence next to Anglican Church on Centre St. . Sunday by appointment. Osteopathy Electricity Phone 272. Hours, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. gentlemen.” He went to the door and held it open. Slim laughed coldly, as he stepped out. “Yo’re deludin’ yoreself, Arthur. Yo’re shore draggin’ yore rope if yuh figger to steal the Dot H Dot ranch. Yuh’ll never do it. An’ the next time yuh hit Miss Hall up for the money, she’ll surprise yuh by handin’ it over. C’mon, Dakota. I’m. sick of talkin’ to sidewinders an’ polecats. Let’s ride For fares and further information apj>ly to Railway Ticket Agents* T*238 CANADIAN NATIONAL DUKE OF WINDSOR LEASES CASTLE HARRY FRYFOGLE Licensed Embalmer and Funeral Director Furniture and Funeral Service Ambulance Service. Phones: Day 117. Night 109. - —...... —- THOMAS FELLS AUCTIONEER REAL ESTATE SOLD A Thorough Knowledge of Farm Stock. .. Phone 231, Wingham. It Will Pay Yop to Have Ari EXPERT AUCTIONEER ' to conduct your sale. . See T. R. BENNETT At The Royal Service Station. Phone 174W. J. ALVIN FOX Licensed Drugless Practitioner CHIROPRACTIC - DRUGLESS THERAPY - RADIONIC EQUIPMENT Hours by Appointment. Phone 191. Wingham A. R. & F. E. DUVAL CHIROPRACTORS CHIROPRACTIC and ELECTRO THERAPY North Street — Wingham Telephone 300. an’ get some fresh air.” George Arthur watched them until they had disappeared, jogging easily out of town. His thin lips were writh­ ing with anathema, his long, pointed nose quivering, his hands clenching and unclenching. He saw Jigger Starbuck slouching across to his of­ fice and hailed him. (Continued Next Week)